Traffic Dispute Blamed In Fatal Beating

Cops Also Investigate Man's Shooting Death

A traffic-related argument early Saturday on the South Side escalated into a brutal beating in which a man was killed, police said.

Chicago police were investigating that and several other deaths over the weekend.

John Valentine, 52, of the 5700 block of South Michigan Avenue was beaten to death about 5 a.m. Saturday. Witnesses told police that four men attacked Valentine in the 6800 block of South Green Street, a police spokesman said.

Valentine was pronounced dead at 5:10 a.m. at a hospital, according to a medical examiner's spokesman.

Also on the South Side, a man walking his dog Friday morning on the South Side discovered the body of a person wearing latex gloves who had been shot three times in the head, police said.

On Saturday, police had few clues about the events that led to the death of the victim, whom they identified as Stymie Thomas, 20, of Maywood. The gloves themselves only added to the mystery.

"That's one of things we're trying to determine now, the purpose of those gloves," said Sgt. Bill Owens.

Thomas' body was found on Illinois Central Railroad property at 1110 E. 82nd Pl. Police found spent shell casings nearby, Owens said, but had not identified any suspects.

On the Southwest Side, police said they were close to finding a suspect in the hit-and-run death of an 18-month-old girl.

Habiba Majid of the 5500 block of South Kostner Avenue was struck Thursday as she waited for her father to unlock a car door, police said.

Chicago Lawn District police said Friday that they had found the car believed to have been involved but were still looking for the owner of the four-door 1981 Chevrolet Impala, located in the 6400 block of South Keeler Avenue.

On the North Side, a 48-year-old woman was struck and killed as she crossed the street Friday night. Police had identified the driver, but no charges had been filed as of Saturday night.

Alina Orczykowski, 48, of the 5500 block of West Addison Street was in a crosswalk at Addison Street and Central Avenue when she was struck, police said.

Orczykowski died at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, police said. The death was under investigation.